Guy Ritchie May Bring a King Arthur Franchise to the Big Screen

The legend of King Arthur is about to get a legendary retelling: Deadline is reporting that Guy Ritchie is circling a multi-film franchise that would bring Camelot to the big screen.

The site writes that Warner Bros. is interested in making "a tentpole fantasy retelling of the Arthur legend, meant to span six films," and Ritchie is reportedly interested in taking the helm. The concept is the brainchild of writer Joby Harold (2007's "Awake"), who's already penned the first screenplay for the project.

Deadline also reports that Ritchie and his longtime screenwriting/producing partner, Lionel Wigram, had previously developed a King Arthur concept for another studio, but that deal fizzled out. Warner Bros. had also greenlit a version of the classic tale with director David Dobkins and star Colin Farrell, but that, too, went nowhere. Bryan Singer was also at one point attached to direct a remake of 1981 Arthur flick "Excalibur" for the studio.

Considering all the false starts this source material has generated over the years, Ritchie's take is still not a sure thing -- nor is his involvement. Still, it would be interesting to see how he interprets the Arthur legend, especially since he's breathed new life into Sherlock Holmes with his Robert Downey Jr.-starring franchise.

Fingers crossed that at least the first film in this ambitious-sounding series gets off the ground.